warhammer40kfanonfandomcom-20200216-history
The Bloodpack
The Bloodpack is a Chaos Warband dedicated to Khorne and composed by warp-tainted brothers of the VIth Legion, the Space Wolves. They were founded by Grom the Gorewolf, a Wolf Guard fallen to Chaos during the Skarath Crusade in M36, and are currently led by Fundinn Runelord, a Psyker who was raised in the Bloodpack cult and sacrificed his powers to Khorne. The warriors of the Bloodpack are fierce raiders, consumed by lust for battle and plunder. After a successful raid they hold feasts where they consume meat and mead, as well as the flesh and blood of the vanquished. The goods they take they add to their hoard of equipment, slaves, and weaponry; the skulls they take they add to their shrine to the Lord of Skulls. For millennia they have been a blight upon the Galaxy, and their only goal is to war and prey upon the Imperium of Man, and whatever Xenos they come across. Though never great in number, their savagery and fearlessness make them dangerous opponents. History Founding When Grom the Gorewolf betrayed his Great Company some Brothers where seduced by his offer of power, plunder, and eternal glory. Fleeing the revenge of the Space Wolves, the Gorewolf led them to the Daemon-twisted world of Urd. There the traitors underwent a Ritual of Initiation, binding their souls to the Blood God Khorne in exchange for his blessing and his madness, ceasing to be Space Wolves and becoming the Bloodpack. Over the following years, in the world of Urd, they would set thousands of captured slaves to the task of building a fortress for the Traitor Astartes. Deep within the icy mountains of Urd a gigantic pit was constructed, the Runewell. Notable Battles Escape from the Great Company 922.M36 After Grom the Gorewolf bested Bjorn Doomhowl, the Great Company's Wolf Lord, a vicious battle broke out among the fleet. Though the Traitors were disputing control of the Coldspear, the Strike Cruiser leading the fleet, the remaining vessels where in Loyalist hands. After suffering heavy bombardment, the Coldspear was able to enter the Warp. Once inside, the corridors where filled with blood as brother killed brother. The battle ended when the Gorewolf beheaded Aesjar Stormclaw, the Rune Priest who was leading the remaining Loyalists. Burning of Ayter 043.M37 Early in M37 Magos Zok'non, a Dark Mechanicus Heretek aproached the Bloodpack to propose a raid on the Imperial Dockyard above the planet Ayter. With the promise of battle and plunder the Bloodpack embarked on the Coldspear and followed the Magos' Carnage-class Cruiser into the Warp. The plan was straightforward: the Dockyard would be guarded by the planet's PDF and a small contingent of Imperial Navy vessels; upon exiting the warp the two Cruisers would open fire on the Navy brigade, the Coldspear would disengage and the Bloodpack would lead the ground assault on the dockyard. After the naval battle was well underway, the Magos would descend to claim his prize: a near-complete Overlord-class Battlecruiser. The initial part of the attack worked perfectly, but upon reaching the ground the Bloodpack encountered heavy resistance from the Order of the Ermine Mantle, unaccountably present on the station. The fighting on the ground was fierce, and a suicidal charge by a mob of Sisters Repentia inflicted heavy damage on the Bloodpack advance. Even so, the berzerkers kept gaining ground and, above, the naval battle raged on. The Sororitas' Dauntless-class Light Cruiser disengaged from the dockyard, and released it's torpedoes against the Coldspear, catching it unaware. The Strike Cruiser reoriented to respond, but the Sororitas' vessel was already within range with its weapons batteries. Having suffered terrible damage, the Coldspear accelerated to ramming speed and struck the Light Cruiser on its starboard tack. Both vessels tangled in a mess of plasteel plummeted down the gravity well, suffering a reactor overload in atmosphere, setting it on fire. As the planet blazed below them, the now marooned Bloodpack pressed their attack, determined to break through the defences and reach the lower levels, where they could claim a new ship. The Sororitas' forces were almost spent when the Canoness charged with her Celestian bodyguard. They were met by Reinhardt Bloodeye's squad of crazed berzerkers, and crashed through one of the Manufactorums, starting fires as the Celestians opened up with their flamers. Soon, only Bloodeye was left, surrounded by blood and flame. Magos Zok'non descended with his retinue of Battle Automata once the naval battle was won, and the two contingents advanced through the labyrinthine passages of the dockyard. Some pockets of resistance remained, but the Bloodpack cut through the survivors easily. Once in the docking area, Grom the Gorewolf was pleased to find what the Sororitas' had been guarding: a captured Hellbringer-Class Light Cruiser. Once the Heretek Magos had claimed his prize and departed, the Bloodpack took the Light Cruiser and bombarded the dockyard until it crashed, burning, into the atmosphere. Upon returning to Urd, the newly captured ship was christened "Bloodmoon", and anointed in the blood of the vanquished. Battle of Taeria 119.M37 Guided by the fell hand of Khorne the Bloodpack travelled to Taeria. Much blood to spill was promised, but it is known that the Blood God cares not from whence it comes. The world was a sizeable Imperial colony, with hundreds of millions of inhabitants. However, when the Bloodback came into orbit, they found a massive spacehulk, from which rained an endless torrent of Ork vessels. Feeling blessed with such a chance for battle, the Gorewolf led his warriors to the surface. The traitor Astartes war party advanced over the broken hills and chasms on the surface, crushing humans and orks as they slaughtered untiringly, every enemy felled a prayer, every skull taken a promise. The Big Metal Boyz, an ork tribe known to wear salvaged Astartes armour, rallied some of the other tribes and made a stand against the Bloodpack on a perilous ridge. With thousands of orks roaring and hammering the earth before them until the hills shook, Grom the Gorewolf felt the anticipation of Khorne. Battle was met with great savagery as the green tide engulfed the few hundred berzerkers, the din of metal on metal, and chainaxes on flesh deafening. At the height of the battle, the Gorewolf was charged by a huge ork in bulky, but sturdy amour. The warboss' power klaw would try to find Grom, even as the Gorewolf struck at him with Doomhowl. In the last moment the Battlemaster clove the ork's head asunder, but not before the warboss let his rokkit fly in one last shot, from death. The explosive caught Grom full on, throwing him from his feet, and leaving him open. It was then that Reinhardt Bloodeye struck. Years of service, and of butchery, had turned the once stalwart warrior into a murderous beast, a savage with an unquenchable desire for death, and the power that death brought him. Had it not been for Bannulf Fellborn, the blow would have been true and deadly. Fellborn met Bloodeye's twin power swords with his axe, and lightning crackled from them as they struck at each other. But Fellborn's practised might was no challenge for the unholy power coursing through Reinhardt Bloodeye's body, not now in this moment where he was ascendant in the eyes of the Blood God. Bloodeye cut Fellborn down, and turned to the Gorewolf once more, just in time to avoid a fell sweep from Doomhowl. Even though his wound were severe, the pain and fury at the loss of Bannulf Fellborn was such that the blood crazed Grom struck blow after blow at Bloodeye, who returned in kind. The Bloodpack formed a half circle, as the two Champions of Chaos fought for dominance and the favour of Khorne upon that ledge, surrounded by the bodies of thousands. The battle dragged on, blood flying, with feats of martial prowess that would be remembered for centuries to come, until Reinhardt Bloodeye feinted well, and plunged one of his power swords to the hilt in the Gorewolf's chest, and flung him away. Grom's sight faded as he fell, Doomhowl still in his hand, and went to black as he hit the ground with a boneshattering crunch. It would be many years until the Gorewolf would return to claim his Bloodpack, but return he would, with great fury and terrible vengeance, and the favour of the Blood God. Scouring of Fruranov 798.M37 ''' Some decades after the return of Grom, the Bloodpack's numbers had fallen somewhat, and the Gorewolf engineered a bloody massacre to recoup their loses. Taking his Chaos Space Marines to the frozen world of Fruranov, the Bloodpack descended on an outpost of Space Wolves of the Firepelts Great Company, three scores of Astartes garrisoned there to defend the planet against a marauding ork fleet in the system. Caught unprepared the Space Wolves defence was fierce, but doomed. The Bloodpack clove through them and the planet's PDF killing and rending, targeting their Long Fangs and Grey Hunters. The fiercer, but younger, Blood Claws they left for last. As the main host of the Bloodpack engaged the PDF, Grom unleashed his savage Chaos Wolves on the Blood Claws. Those who survived the beasts were taken, bound, and conveyed back to the Runewell, to feed the Arena. Among them was a young Fenrisian called Torbjorn Deathmaw, who would one day lead the Bloodpack. '''Blitz of Kamer 818.M37 Lord Makarios the Pious came to Urd, a Dark Disciple of the Word Bearers with an offer. While this normally would be welcomed with slaughter, the omens where favourable, and the Bloodpack invited the Dark Apostle to their hall to partake in their feasts and pray at the altar to Khorne that is the Arena of the Runewell. In council with Grom, Makarios confided the existence of a Relic of untold power. "Knowledge" he claimed "to open a path through the Warp, or to the Warp". Lord Makarios promised to use it to unleash massacre and bloodshed on such a scale that would doom a whole system. Grom pondered the offer, and looked down at the Arena. It was the 8th day of the Ritual of Blood, and the gauntlet had been run. The 8 challengers stood there, an unusually large and auspicious number. He recognised the young Fenrisian, Torbjorn Deathmaw, who over the past twenty years had become one of the most promising fighters in the pits. He had been deemed worthy at last, by the Blood Priests, but now he'd have to prove his worth to the Blood God. Lord Makarios' voice interrupted the Gorewolf's musings. "He will become Battlemaster, one day." He looked coolly down on the 8 warriors. The Gorewolf spoke for the first time since welcoming his guest. "If he is blessed by the Blood God, we will follow." rumbled the Astartes. They both looked down intensely as the savage battle began. In the end, Torbjorn Deathmaw held up seven severed heads, grasping their blood-clotted hair. In orbit over Kamer, the Bloodmoon took position by the Lex Tenebris, Lord Makarios' flagship. When the order came, the two ships fired a barrage on the Imperial World's main Hive, and then one thousand heretic Astartes descended upon it. They were met by the 35th, 64th, and 102nd Kamer Shock Regiments, nine thousand ogryn, all told. The fighting was bitter, but the Bloodpack rejoiced in the challenge of such opponents, since the ogryn's brutal strength and direct mentality allowed for glorious battle. Lord Makarios fought by Grom the Gorewolf, crushing ogryn aside with a fell black mace of giant dimensions as Doomhowl rent the abhumans asunder. Victory was in sight, the Word Bearers of Lord Makarios' host where opening the first doors to the sealed vault containing the relic he sought, the abhuman regiments were all but spent, and reinforcements from the rest of the planet where still far away. The air opened up around them, as lithe figures stepped around corners, or over barricades and unleashed a storm of fire. The eldar wore white armour, with green helmets, and where accompanied by a host of warriors in green and bone armour engaged the Astarte in close combat. The attack was organised and lethal, and the traitors were suffering heavily. The Biel-Tan contingent had come hunting the orks but, intercepting Kamer's distress call, had guessed at Lord Makarios' true purpose. As the xenos gained ground, the Bloodpack's berzerkers and Chaos Wolves tore and savaged the lithe forms, but enduring high casualties in return. It was at that moment that the young Torbjorn Deathmaw struck, leading a frenzied pack of berzerkers into the eldar's flank. They cut into the eldar riflement, and crashed into the ranks of the green-clad warriors. Corrupted chainaxes met slender chainblades, and Torbjorn found himself before an imposing figure, in heavily ornamented green armour. The Exarch lifted his chainswords in mocking salute, before unleashing a storm of slashes at the young Astartes. But Torbjorn would not be stayed, he was no longer a Space Wolf slave, he was a willing servant of Khorne, and the Lord of Skulls cares not whose blood is spilt. He bore the pain as the weapons rended his flesh, not even trying to avoid them, to the surprise of the Striking Scorpion. The surprise was cut short when Torbjorn Deathmaw brought his chainaxe down on the eldar's neck with profane strength granted him by the Blood God in that moment of faith. With a resounding blast, the vault was blown open, and Lord Makarios descended into it as his Word Bearers and the Bloodpack battled on. When he emerged, he held a large tome, bound in the skin of indescribable creatures, for it seemed to live and contort under his fingers, revealing fangs and claws. With a maniacal laugh, Lord Makarios opened the tome and read aloud in a terrible voice, opening a rent in Reality, and the Immaterium poured through like a river of blood. The eldar recoiled in horror as the twisted shapes of daemons emerging from the horrid portal, and began a fighting retreat into their Webway portals. The Bloodpack fought among the warp beings with glee, cutting down the fleeing eldar as they howled and chanted blessings to the Blood God. Lord Makarios and Grom the Gorewolf surveyed the gore covered field, demonic power pulsating within them both, the gift of the Ruinous Power growing withing them. Grom looked approvingly at the bloodied, but triumphant Torbjorn Deathmaw, and turned his gaze, wonderingly perhaps, back to Lord Makarios. When the battle was done, and the corruption was spreading throughout Kamer, they made their way back to their ships and parted ways, vowing to meet again. Back on Urd, the Bloodpack placed their new captives into the Arena, and the Bloodpack entered the Great Hall, to feast and recount their exploits. Grom took Torbjorn, placing a clawed gauntlet on the young berzerker's shoulder, and sat him at his side on the long table, in the place where once had sat Bannulf Fellborn and that had remained empty ever since his death. Battle of Sianope 002.M38 '- Bloodpack + Dark Mechanicus vs IG + Adeptus Mechanicus. Goremaw is interred. '''Fall of Qecharus 344.M38 '- Bloodpack + Word Bearers vs SM + IG vs Tyranids 'Deception of the Lord Aenides 823.M38 '- Bloodpack vs Spacewolves. Death of Grom the Gorewolf 'Raid of the Thion K2N8 192.M39 '- Bloodpack + Dark Mechanicus vs Adeptus Mechanicus + Battle Sisters 'Battle of Skeseruta 599.M39 '- Bloodpack vs IG vs Tau 'Assault on Hugrurn 934.M39 '- Bloodpack vs CSM. Daemonfang is interred. 'Defence of the Runewell 368.M40 '- Space Wolves vs Bloodpack and Black Legion '''Battle of Prakkis and the Ritual of Blood 888.M40 '- Space Wolves + Storm Wardens + Imperial Guard vs World Eaters + Bloodpack + Khornate Warbands. Death of Deathmaw, ascension of Fundinn Runelord. '''12th Black Crusade 139.M41 '- 'Battle of Caethia Primus 522.M41 '- Bloodpack + World Eaters + Word Bearers vs Space Marines + IG '13th Black Crusade 999.M41 '- Characters Champions Grom the Gorewolf The specifics of Grom's past are nebulous at best, as he was not prone to boasting about the days when he was a lapdog for the Empire. He was, however, a Wolf Guard for one of the Space Wolves' Great Companies at the time of the Skarath Crusade, serving Bjorn Doomhowl. During a pitched battle, as the Company was surrounded by heretics and rebels, Grom's position was overrun. Later, when the newly conceived Predator Annihilators routed the enemy, his body was no where to be found. The retreating forces had found the Wolf Guard, and had taken his broken body with them as they fled. When he awoke he was a prisoner, confined behind plasteel bars with other Brothers, some Space Wolves and some from other Chapters, and Xenos of diverse origins. He was forced to fight warp-tainted beasts, crazed pit-fighters, and even broken Astartes who no longer remembered what they were, in an arena dedicated to the Ruinous Powers. The Gorewolf, as they came to call him, became a crowd favourite for his fierceness and ruthlessness, and his fame grew. He awoke one night to a field of gore. Broken bodies covered the ground for as far as the eye could see, the sky was crimson, and in it hung a great, burning eye. Turning, Grom saw a great tree made of bone, its leaves skulls, its sap blood. A voice rung out "You have sight but not vision. Sacrifice to me!". Ripping a jagged bone from one of the slain, Grom gouged out his left eye. Blood streaming down his face he looked around once more, and the field was filled with daemons. They stalked amongst the fallen, and battled each other endlessly, shedding blood in prayers unending. "You have vision but no knowledge. Sacrifice to me!". A Daemon fell upon Grom, wielding a black spear, and the two struggled atop the bodies. He savaged the Daemon but, even as its black blood burned him, it did not fall. Understanding, Grom opened his arms wide, and allowed the Daemon to pierce his chest. At once, an axe was in his hand, a fell thing with a wicked blade that cleaved through the Daemon effortlessly. A black pit now yawned around the tree, a chasm deep as eternity. A bronze collar attached to a chain dropped at Grom's feet. "You have knowledge but no power. Sacrifice to me!". He set the collar around his throat, and the chain went taught, hanging him amongst the branches of bone, over the abyss. There he remained, gazing into the darkness, until it's power and madness overcame him. When he awoke, he cried "Blood for the Blood God", and ripped through his restraints. Axe in hand, no one could stop the one-eyed warrior. He fought his way to a small vessel, slaughtered the crew, and set off for Fenris. Over the long years of travel, he raved alone, waiting for the day he would see the Fang again, and take his rightful place amongst the Wolf Lords. He was welcomed by his former Brothers, his return feeding their own pride and hubris as to the strength of the Space Wolves. He regaled his Brothers with his tales of battle and glory, and some with greater knowledge, knowledge dearly earned by sacrifice. When the day came, events unfolded quickly. Once the Fleet was well away from Fenris, Grom positioned his Traitor Brothers, and confronted Bjorn Doomhowl. He cut the Loyal Wolf Guards down, and engaged the Wolf Lord in single combat. The fighting was fierce, as Doomhowl was an experienced veteran of many battlefields. His sword, Blackfang, cut bitterly into the Gorewolf, but Grom's daemonic axe cut the Wolf Lord's legs from under him. Grom beheaded Doomhowl, and christened his axe with his name to honour him. The mutiny began, and the Traitors made their way to Urd. Once there, the Gorewolf led his new Brothers in a Ritual to bind their souls to Khorne. From there he would lead raids into normal space, plundering and looting, sacrificing all enemies to the Blood God, save for Space Wolves. Whenever possible, Space Wolves were captured, and brought back to Urd to be corrupted. This continued until the Battle of Taeria, which concluded when Grom was betrayed and left for dead by Reinhardt Bloodeye. His body unfound, the traitors departed, leaving the blasted battlefield. After regaining consciousness, Grom dragged himself into one of the shelters built by the planets human population, and rested until the last of the ork warbands had moved on to other areas. It was years before he could leave the ravaged world, but everyday became a sacrifice to Khorne as the Gorewolf consumed orks and humans alike in his butchery. When Ferdinando de Palentia, a Rogue Trader and slaver landed in Taeria to replenish his stock, Grom cut a deal with him; Grom would crush the Trader's enemies, and Ferdinando would convey him back to Urd. The voyage was long and winding, but twenty years after he was left for dead, the Gorewolf was back on his world. Grom donned the guise of a wanderer, and stepped into the Runewell. The Bloodpack was feasting after a great victory, and the slaves had no mind to stop the stranger. He flung open the doors to the Great Hall, and the merriment waned. He held Doomhowl up, and shouted a challenge to Bloodeye, calling him a coward and a dishonour to the name of the Blood God. Bloodeye lept from his throne enraged, and fell upon the cloaked figure. Grom revealed himself, and engaged Bloodeye, axe against axe. The battle was bitter, and blood flowed freely from both of them, but in the end Grom crushed Bloodeye's axe, and sunk Doomhowl into his chest. Laying him atop the table, the Bloodpack feasted on his remains, and Grom took his rightful place once more, feeling the mantle of Khorne's power laying heavy upon his shoulders. Since then, Grom would be the Bloodpack's Battlemaster, until the events of the Deception of the Lord Aenides. Upon that vessel, as the Space Wolves closed the net around their twisted Brothers, Grom faced the Wolf Lord Sten Earthshaker, wielding the mighty hammer Moonkiller. Their battle tore through friend and foe alike, smashing through bulkheads and voiding parts of the ship. Finally, upon the bridge, Earthshaker dealt the Gorewolf a mortal wound and, with a last crazed howl, Grom joined his patron in the Brass Citadel, there to serve him for all eternity. Reinhardt Bloodeye Reinhardt Bloodeye was a Wolf Guard for Bjorn Doomhowl, who was corrupted by the influence of Grom the Gorewolf after his return to the Great Company. Known for his wild temper even before his fall to Chaos, Reinhardt's temperament soured under the influence of the Blood God, becoming a butcher of men and Xenos alike, a whirlwind of blades in battle continuously spilling blood. His favour in Khorne's eyes was great, and Grom trusted him as he knew him from of old. However, Reinhardt's battle lust and fury blinded him to danger, and soon he began to believe Grom was unfit to lead, and that he himself could take the Bloodpack to greater enemies and greater glories. These feelings festered withing the Champion, and he waited for his opportunity, raging within the confines of his own mind. He confided in none of his Brothers, determined that the kill should be his and his alone. His day came during the Battle of Taeria. At the height of the battle, as the field was nearly won, Bloodeye charged Grom the Gorewolf on the cliff side where they stood. Wounded from battle with an Ork Warboss, and unaware, the blow would have certainly killed the Gorewolf, were it not for Bannulf Fellborn interposing himself, and trying to stop Bloodeye. Though a Champion in his own right, Fellborn was not powerful enough to hold his ground against Reinhardt's blade. It was an affair of seconds before Bloodeye ran Fellborn through and discarded his corpse, but it was long enough for Grom to rally. The duel that followed was spoken of for many years in the Runewell. Though injured, the Blood God's blessing lived in the Gorewolf, but Bloodeye's star was ascendant. They traded blow for blow, not losing ground, while their Brothers butchered the orks that still fought on. Reinhardt's skill proved greater, and he stabbed Grom through the chest, and flung him from the cliff. Satisfied with his victory, he took the Bloodpack back to Urd to celebrate their victory, and his new place. He would lead the Bloodpack until the return of Grom the Gorewolf, over twenty years later. Bannulf Fellborn Bannulf Fellborn was a Lone Wolf formerly in service to Bjorn Doomhowl's Great Company. Once a Brother Grey Hunter to Grom the Gorewolf, until Grom became Wolf Guard, during the last battle of the Skarath Crusade he lost all his pack. Alone now, Bannulf grew separate from the rest of the Great Company, undertaking dangerous scouting missions on his own. As he failed to die his guilt grew, fertile ground for the seeds of corruption. Grom's return to the Great Company, after his long absence, brought such joy to Fellborn's heart he followed the Gorewolf readily when the time came. Bannulf lead a pack of his new Brothers during the mutiny aboard the Coldspear, and would earn the honours of a Champion serving faithfully thereafter at the hand of Grom. When Reinhardt Bloodeye charged Grom the Gorewolf at the height of the Battle of Taeria, Bannulf spared not a moment to think, and flung himself in front of Bloodeye. Though he fought bravely, he was overwhelmed by the fell fury of the traitorous Champion. Even so, before he was killed, he gave the Gorewolf enough time to brace himself and avoid a deathblow. Upon his return, Grom the Gorewolf dedicated a feast to the memory of his loyal Champion. Torbjon Deathmaw Torbjon Deathmaw was a Champion, and later Battlemaster of the Bloodpack. Torbjorn was taken during the Scouring of Fruranov in the midst of M37. A young Bloodclaw of the Firepelts, his pack was decimated and enslaved by the Bloodpack, taken back to Urd to fight in the arenas of the Runewell until consumed by the bloodlust. When the Priests deemed him ready he, along with the others chosen, underwent the Ritual of Initiation becoming a Brother of the Bloodpack. The Ritual was specially auspicious for there where eight worthy candidates, and the most favoured was Torbjon. His first battle as one of the Bloodpack would come merely days after his anointing. During the Blitz of Kamer, while the main force of the Bloodpack defended the vault that held the Book of Hüsnü along side the Disciples of Makarios, Deathmaw led a contingent of Bloodpack berzerkers against the Biel-Tan force that had flanked them. Although losses were heavy, Torbjorn engaged the Exarch of the Striking Scorpions, and after a fierce duel clove him asunder. At the feast to commemorate the battle, the Gorewolf took Deathmaw and sat him by his side at the High Table, cementing his position within the Bloodpack. He would learn under the tutelage of the Gorewolf for years, not only the tactics of the Battlemaster, but also the secrets of Khorne. After the death of the Gorewolf aboard the Lord Aenides, Deathmaw took up Doomhowl, and the mantle of Battlemaster of the Bloodpack. The Feast was the grandest to date, with many honour duels and blood sacrifices to honour the memory of Grom the Gorewolf. Even though bloodied and defeated, Deathmaw rallied his Brothers for future raids and glorious battles, and they all drank to the future of the warband. When the feast was done, Deathmaw gathered the Blood Priests of the Runewell and descended into the deep reaches with them. With their help, he prepared himself to commune with the Blood God, as the Gorewolf had once done. For eight days and eight nights he fought in the Arena against fell warp-beasts, captured warriors, and summoned Daemons. When their blood was spilled and their skulls taken, he laid atop a consecrated altar blessed with blood, and slept as the Priests chanted over him. He awoke to the field of gore, as Grom had described to him. He heard Khorne's voice, sacrificing willingly and so, when he awoke, the Blood Gods power was strong within him. Having trod where the Gorewolf had, and having been found worthy, he set about leading his Brothers to blood and glory. After the attack on the Runewell, and seeing how close the Bloodpack came to the edge of destruction, Deathmaw began aggressively searching for Champions worthy of leading the warband if he were to fall. It would take a long time, but in the year 816.M40, an old ally reached out to him. He met with Francesco de Palentia, a Rogue Trader of a distinguished Dynasty with which the warband had a long history, on a small untainted moon orbiting a planet in the same System as Urd. The Trader was excited to show his latest acquisition. At first Deathmaw thought that the Trader was indulging in humour for, instead of a hold filled with captured Fenrisians or even a small number of Space Wolves, the container held a single child no more than eight years old held at wrists and ankles from chains. His fury rose but the boy, who bore the telltale marks of Fenrisian blood, suddenly floated into the air and the walls of the container wept blood. Deathmaw took the young psyker and threw him into the Arena, after christening him Fundinn. Deathmaw would lead the Bloodpack for nearly a century more. During the three month conflict known as the Battle of Prakkis, but better known to the Brothers as the Ritual of Blood, he faced the Tempest Blade Seóraigh Seagha, of the Storm Wardens Chapter as the battle led to a close. Seóraigh, armed with his Sacris Claymore, called out to Deathmaw and challenged him to single combat. Surrounded by blood and gore, Deathmaw lept at him and their weapons clashed with blow after blow. After a long bout, Doomhowl clove through Seagha's Storm Shield, but the Storm Warden's Claymore pierced Deathmaws throat. With a last blow, Deathmaw's head fell on the ground, and his soul made its way to the Brass Citadel, to sit beside that of the Gorewolf in the shadow of the Lord of Skulls. Fundinn Runelord Fundinn Runelord is the current Battlemaster of the Bloodpack, Lord of the Runewell, and Master of Runes. He strides into battle alongside his Chaos Wolf, Illska, clad in Corrupt Runic Power Armour and wielding the ceremonial Daemon axe Doomhowl. As a small child of eight, he was abducted from Fenris by the Rogue Trader Francesco de Palentia and handed over to Torbjorn Deathmaw, then Battlemaster of the Bloodpack. Deathmaw, upon seeing the child was a Psyker, knew that he would sacrifice much for the Blood God, and named him Fundinn. Deathmaw was not a kind master, and Fundinn spent his young life in the Arena, forced to battle against warp beasts and men, and punished whenever he used his gift. However, on momentous occasions, Deathmaw would take him to the Great Hall to feast with the Bloodpack and hear their tales of battle, glorious victory, and bitter defeat. There would come a day when the Blood Priests would deem him ready to begin the process of becoming an Astartes. For eight days and eight nights he fought in the Arena, under the watchful eye of Deathmaw, Daemonfang, Goremaw, and the greatest among the Bloodpack. After his victory, he underwent the first part of the Gene-Seed implantation, but when the time came to consume the Corrupted Canis Helix, Deathmaw stopped the ceremony. By his will, Fundinn would not undergo the Ritual of Initiation until a more auspicious time. The sacrifice was too great to be performed at a date that would not bellow praise for the Lord of Skulls. Fundinn would have to wait over five decades for the call, so while his Gene-Seed implantation was almost complete and he could don the armaments of a berzerker, he would have to fight for years without the consecration and blessings of the Blood God. However, his time would come. At the height of the Battle of Prakkis, surrounded by the dead, the maimed, and the honoured; after nearly three months of uninterrupted battle, on that auspicious date, in that auspicious place; he fell the Wolf Lord before him with the axe of his slain Battlemaster and cast his body down, where the Blood Priests started the ceremony. He would lie not upon an altar of bones, but one of torn flesh, blood, and corpses of the slain. So it came to be that Fundinn, born on the 808th year of the 40th Millennium, stood on the eighth moon of the eighth planet of a dying sun on the 888th year of that same Millennium; and there, surrounded by the bodies of Bloodpack and Space Wolves alike, having fought for eighty eight days, he drank the Corrupt Canis Helix, and lay upon the altar as an offering to Khorne. When next he opened his eyes, he knew what to expect. He had learned the mysteries of Khorne from Deathmaw, who had learned from Grom the Gorewolf. He was on the field of carnage, the devastation and death around him so great that the battlefields of his life paled by comparison. He turned to see a colossal tree made of writhing bone; it was so large that he could not look at it, it was too great to exist, like looking into the void between galaxies. He was waiting for it, so he did not die when it came. Louder than anything, tearing him of his feet and sending him sprawling, came the voice: "YOU WHO SEEK VISION, SACRIFICE TO ME!". Without hesitation he plucked his right eye from its socket and cast it aside. As he had been told, the field changed. Daemons, millions of them, covered the ground as far as sight could reach. Greater Daemons of Khorne stood among them, bellowing and spreading their tattered wings, watching him. They all watched him, as the Herald stepped from the Legion, wielding a cruel, black lance. The voice boomed: "YOU WHO SEEK KNOWLEDGE, SACRIFICE TO ME!". The Daemon charged him, and Fundinn opened his arms wide to accept the blow which pierced his chest. He felt Doomhowl appear in his hand, and he felled the Herald with a savage blow. He heard a clatter of metal on bone behind him, and there was the bronze collar, inscribed with fell runes and attached to a long, heavy chain. For the third time, the voice thundered: "YOU WHO SEEK POWER, SACRIFICE TO ME!". He placed the collar around his neck, and felt all his sorcerous power drain from him as the chain tautened and hanged him over the yawning abyss that had appeared at the base of the impossible tree. There he remained, looking down, trying to grasp the power that the Blood God willingly offered. After eight days, the darkness cleared, and he was looking upon a blasted wasteland, covered in blood and warring Daemons. At the center was a great stronghold, an unholy bastion of brass with walls covered in blood and dead, hung with iron gargoyles vomiting molten metal upon the plain. In the central keep of the citadel is a mighty vault held up by eight pillars inscribed with the commandments of the Blood God. Daemons and warriors, some he recognised, waited on the floor. In the middle of the vault is an endless heap of skulls, atop which sits a massive throne of brass and upon it, sits the armour-clad Blood God, the Lord of Skulls, Khorne. Fundinn Runelord awoke, and rose from the altar. He had lain there for eight days and eight nights, but the field was not yet lost. The eight Blood Priests were still standing around him, dead after eight days of continual ceremony. Fundinn Runelord rallied the Bloodpack and joined the Khornate armies' assault on the Loyalist positions. The battle raged on a further month, before all that was left of Prakkis was blood and ash. The Bloodpack departed and, upon returning to the Runewell, threw the greatest feast in their history. The celebration spanned weeks, with continuous fighting in the Arena, as well as sacrifices. The names of the Gorewolf and Deathmaw were honoured, and the old tales were told anew. Fundinn Runelord was recognised as new Battlemaster, challenged by none, for they had seen his fury and his power upon the field. Fundinn would later build the Runeforge, his own sanctuary at the bottom of the Runewell, where he would use the knowledge gained from the Blood God to forge Runic weapons and armour, infused with the power of Chaos. He would lead the Bloodpack from then on, forever bound by a brass collar encircling his throat. Illska the Black Illska is Fundinn's shadow, a great Chaos Wolf that follows the Runelord into battle. Illska was once a Wolf Guard, captured after the battle for the Runewell, when he was presumed dead and left behind when the Space Wolves were forced to pull out. Upon undergoing the Ritual of Initiation, the corruption of the Blood God turned him into a foul, slavering monstrosity, greater than any Chaos Wolf before him. Fundinn Runelord claimed him as his Harbinger, and fought him into submission. Hellbrutes Goremaw Goremaw was a savage berzerker of the Bloodpack, blessed by the Lord of Skulls with an unending fury that made him all but unstoppable in battle. Though powerful, his purity of purpose never led him to dispute the rule of his Battlemaster, shunning the burden of command in favour of being the first to draw blood, the first to take skulls. During the Battle of Sianope, as Goremaw led a detachment of berzerkers through a Skitarii strongpoint, he came face to face with the Magos Qharran. As he howled in fury and charged him, the Magos brought to bear an Archaeotech Phospex weapon, and set the Champion on fire. When the Bloodpack's main force broke through, Goremaw was still fighting as he burned, the pain having driven him insane, surrounded by bodies. When the warrior's fury was spent, his injuries where such that he would never fight again. However, Grom took him to the Heretek Zok'non and he was encased in the chassis of a Helbrute, to continue spilling blood for the Blood God even in his madness. Daemonfang Daemonfang was a berzerker renowned for his resilience and his stamina in battle. Over the centuries, he survived every other member of the original mutiny aboard the Coldspear. During the Assault on Hugrun, he led his contingent in a flanking attack against the Children of Torment. Though the battle was brief, as both sides had limited assets, the Children of Torment had the numerical advantage. The tactical flanking manoeuvre could have given the Bloodpack the edge, had not the slaaneshi Chaos Marines been holding a Sonic Dreadnought in reserve. Though his party managed to fell the walker and cause significant damage to the Children of Torment, Daemonfang himself was torn apart by the Dreadnought's Blastmasters. His broken body was taken, along with the wreckage, back to the Runewell. There, after purifying and consecrating the wreck to the Blood God, he was interred to rise again as a Helbrute. Warband Combat Doctrine Special Units Bloodpack berzerkers The warriors of the Bloodpack undergo a ritual of blood and corruption, where they renounce their allegiance to the Imperium of Man and surrender their souls to the Blood God Khorne. These berzerkers are fierce and savage fighters who sun the use of ranged weaponry in favour of crashing into the enemy lines while spilling as much blood as possible. Every berzerker is armed with a Chainsword and a Chainaxe, which they wield to great effect. Once they enter the fray, the berzerkers cast aside all thought of survival and charge into the mightiest foe they can find, offering their deaths to the Lord of Skulls. berzerkers often shun the use of helms, in order to allow their sharp senses to take in all the details of the slaughter, and to feel the fresh blood on their faces. Chaos Wolves Those who go through the Ritual of Initiation but are found unworthy often simply die as the corruption spreads through their veins. Others are twisted by the power of Chaos, the Canis Helix unravelling, and are turned into vicious, warp-tainted beasts. These Chaos Wolves are large, aggressive, and possess an instinct for cruelty that the Bloodpack puts to good use. They are loosed upon the enemy before a charge, to induce panic or to distract, while the berzerkers follow in their wake. Chaos Wolves who survive long enough keep growing in size and intellect, making old ones terrible enemies. Favoured Tactics The Bloodpack relishes close quarters combat and disdains ranged weaponry. In battle, the Chaos Wolves are loosed to run amongst the enemy, while the berzerkers charge the enemy positions. The Helbrutes are the Warband's hammer, striking were resistance is greatest, inflicting terrible damage with their fists. The Battlemaster is expected to lead from the front, cutting apart the enemy with the ceremonial Daemon axe, Doomhowl. Warband Homeworld Known as Urd, it is a Daemon world dedicated to the Blood God Khorne, and is located in the Ultima Segmentum. The Bloodpack was led to it by Grom the Gorewolf as he followed a vision of Khorne, and upon it they built their stronghold. Its blighted landscape is cold and barren; volcanoes rise from the ground like fangs pointing at the black sky, where a red sun looks down in fierce intensity. Rivers of blood flow from these mountains into seas that boil with fury. The ground opens and closes at whim, revealing the bones and teeth beneath the surface. Warband Cult and Culture Battle Feast After every engagement, win or lose, the Bloodpack returns to the Great Hall, within the Runewell on the world of Urd. There, droves of slaves have prepared feasts of meats and mead. If victorious, the vanquished will be consumed as well. Every battle is celebrated equally, for all blood spilt is a prayer to the Blood God. Blood Dance The Arena of the Runewell is always alive with combat, between men and beasts, slaves and Champions. The blood spilt there is a constant offering, and the walls are lined with the skulls of the dead. The Blood Dance is the never ending worship of Khorne, the heart of the Runewell. Recruitment Due to the nature of the Bloodpack they have great trouble recruiting new members. Grom the Gorewolf's compact with Khorne requires that those seeking his blessing must possess, or accept, the Canis Helix. To this end, the Bloodpack raids ships from the Fenris system, or sheds blood for Rogue Traders and slavers with access to those people. The most dangerous means of recruitment, but the most effective, is to attack Space Wolves outposts taking the younger, more corruptible, Blood Claws. Whatever the origin, these aspirants are thrown in the Arena to learn the bloody truth of Khorne. The Bloodpack's alliance with elements of the Dark Mechanicus is vital, since they implant the Gene-Seed into the non-Astartes captured. When the aspirant is ready, and has become prey to corruption, he is initiated. Ritual of Initiation When the warrior is ready to become a Brother of the Bloodpack, he fights in the Arena for eight days and nights, against progressively greater challenges. If he is victorious he drinks a mixture of the Canis Helix and Daemon ichor, and is lain upon an altar of skulls, where eight priests of the Blood God consecrate him. He rises a member of the Bloodpack. Runic Power Armour After his ascension to Battlemaster, Fundinn Runelord rediscovered the secrets of the runes of power. Employing profane energies and warp forges, the Runelord has been able to create twisted, Chaos-infused versions of the Loyalist's Runic Armour. These armours are few, and so only the mightiest Champions of the Bloodpack don them. Gene-Seed The Bloodpack's Gene-Seed has been corrupted by their compact with the Blood God, but that same compact keeps it usable. They depend on the Canis Helix to complete their transformation into Astartes, but they also incorporate Daemonic elements. The result is that Bloodpack Brothers are large in size, with pale, leathery skin, and sunken, red eyes. Their hair is thick and black, growing coarser as they age, but no lighter. Their sense are sharpened and their teeth turn into fangs that fill their mouths. Warriors who cannot withstand the corruption bear the risk of becoming Chaos Wolves, horrifically mutated warp-beasts, devoid of any thought but carnage and bloodlust. Warband Fleet In Service: Bloodmoon - Hellbringer-class Light Cruiser. Taken from the space docks of Ayter during the assault. Destroyed: Coldpsear - Space Wolves Strike Cruiser. Scuttled during the Burning of Ayter, stranding the Bloodpack. Warband Artefacts Doomhowl - A Daemon axe of Khorne bestowed upon the Gorewolf for his devotion to the Blood God, christened in the blood of a Wolf Lord. Doomhowl has been passed down through the millennia, from Battlemaster to Battlemaster of the Bloodpack. Brass Noose - A collar of brass made by the Lord of Skulls and worn by Fundinn Runelord. The Brass Noose suppresses Fundinn's psychic power, making him a worthy servant of Khorne. Warband Livery Warband Colours After their betrayal of the Space Wolves the Bloodpack painted their armour pitch black, and some of the Brothers took to inscribing twisted and profane versions of the Runes they had grown accustomed to. The Runes are inscribed in the red of the Blood God, while the black signifies their commitment to Chaos, and turning their back on the Corpse light of the Imperium. Warband Badge The badge is a red wolf's head, the personal sign of Grom the Gorewolf, on a black background. It is also a mockery of the traditional badge of the VIth Legion. Warband Relations Enemies '''Space Wolves Chapter - The Bloodpack's greatest enemy, and the one they can never defeat. The Bloodpack has clashed regularly with their father Chapter over the millennia, either when raiding their outposts to abduct new recruits, or when suffering the bitter retribution the Space Wolves exact upon the traitors. The Bloodpack's dependence on the Space Wolves for recruits and the Canis Helix means that, if they ever had the chance to, destroying them outright would doom the Bloodpack. Storm Wardens Chapter - The Bloodpack harbour a bitter hatred for the Storm Wardens, since it was Seóraigh Seagha, a Tempest Blade of that Chapter, that killed Battlemaster Torbjorn Deathmaw in the events leading up to the Blood Ritual at Prakkis. Magos Qharran - An Explorator of the Adeptus Mechanicus, and commander of a large contingent of Skitarii. The Bloodpack has joined battle with his forces on many occasions, often acting in concert with Dark Mechanicum allies. Vostroyan 39th Firstborn Regiment '''- A distinguished Imperial Guard Regiment, specialised in Urban Warfare. Have held stalwart defences against invading Bloodpack forces several times. '''Children of Torment - A Warband within the Black Legion, composed of Slaanesh worshippers. The Bloodpack has often clashed with them, even during conflicts when the two warbands fought on the same side. Allies Crimson Mask Chapter - A Chapter of the Word Bearers, whose interests have aligned with the Bloodpack on several occasions. Their large contingents of Cultists have allowed the Bloodpack to act as a heavy strike force, cutting through enemy vulnerable points. 'Magos Zok'non '- A rogue Heretek, obsessed with Abominable Intelligences, who commands a vast force of Daemon Engines and Battle Automata. An ally of convenience that has supplied the Bloodpack with services many times. 'De Palentia Rogue Trader Dynasty '- Slaves, pirates, and opportunists, the De Palentia family has been tied to the Bloodpack since the time of Grom the Gorewolf. Often the Bloodpack will travel with the Rogue Traders, to plunder and enslave. 'Hounds of Abaddon '- Warband of the Black Legion, assisted the Bloodpack during the Defence of the Runewell by cutting off the Space Wolves' ground forces, forcing the Loyalists to retreat. Since then, the Bloodpack have fought beside them on a number of occasions, such as Prakkis, and the 12th and 13th Black Crusades. Category:Chaos Warbands